The Longest Day

Rating: 7/10 (12 May 2014)

A film at the height ?
Longest Day is an black and white film which tells the events of D-Day during the Second World War. This film realized in 1962, is an adaptation of the homonymous book of Cornelius Ryan.
This War film is co-directed by few directors: the English producer Ken Annakin who was charged to film the Britissh and French Exteriors, Andrews Marton(famous for Ben Hur) for the American side and Bernhard Wicki for the German episodes.
This film was also famous for his amazing casting of actors; we can recognize the well-known John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Richard Burton, the unforgettable Clint Eastwood, the French actor Bourvil. So the film is very attractive for fans (and it's a pleasure to look our favorites icons!) and a colossal amount of cash was used since the budget of the film overtakes the 10 millions of Dollars! The Longest Day is even on of first blockbuster in the story of movies.
This giant production tells during nearly three hours the episode of the Normandy Landing, the 6 June 1944. He was cut in different point of views, with mains and secondary characters. Unfortunately, the spectators can be lost although these richest perspectives, and the different camps and place of the film. But we can notice a positive point: each actor played in his own language. For example, the French actor Bourvil spoke in French, his native language. So, it gives a certain authenticity in the dialogue especially. The amazing performs of the casting bring the efficiency when the actors play faithfully their historical role. For example, we can salute Red Buttons in the role of John Steel(The parachutist who was hanging in the bell tower); he took inspiration thanks to the testimony of the real John Steel.
But, outside this good point we can notice in many reviews the cliché side of the French Underground or the Germans authority voluntarily ( or involuntarily!)parodied like the scene with the Geman who was wearing his boots upside down. Maybe to give a little irony in the war... I don't know. However this moment of comedy which lighten the dramatic tension of the film.
We can although congratulated the place of film which were faithful to the historical reality ( Remember-us the famous village of Sainte-Mère-l'Eglise in France), but we can also notice a gap: the scene of the Landing was turned in the beaches of Corse because the landscape stayed natural contrarily to the beaches of Normandy. Fortunately, the amazing aerial shot, (we have the impression to fly over the beach!), and the short scene of dialogue are lively with the face to face of the character. For example, when the soldier who is lost met an injured soldier who contemplate the corpse of the upside-down-boots German are speaking about the real sense of the life. I find this scene sums up the film: philosophers are speaking as for the uselessness of this war.
During the film, we can hear the fabulous music of Beethoven which the movement follows perfectly the script of the film. We can congratulate this choice mixed with drums which accentuate the tension and the imminence of the fight. The film begins of the image of a helmet on the beach and it closes on the same, like this war was useless...with the same music.
A negative point: the special effects. They are not bad for the time but the smoke, the explosions and just near a soldier in life...( always in a single piece!)
This film received two Oscars and it tells the war with excellent techniques , excellent actors and an excellent screenplay, but for the used budget we expected for it not less...